As mentioned in the previous post, Executive Women International held its Leadership Conference Annual Meeting (LCAM) just outside Washington D.C. last week. The following are some of the restaurants we tried, both good and not so good.
The Fashion Center at Pentagon City
1100 S. Hayes Street, Arlington, VA
Ph: (703) 415-3510
We had some time to kill while transitioning between hotels so we visited an old haunt, The Fashion Center at Pentagon City. There was a lot of reconstruction going on which I was not too happy about. To make the best of the situation, I indulged myself with a Dark Chocolate Milkshake ($5.95) at Johnny Rockets. The burgers and fries we also ordered were very average and not worth mentioning here. However, my milkshake was delicious and reminiscent of my days working at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlour. I drank as much as I could but left behind about $3 worth.
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| Dark Chocolate Milkshake topped with Ghiradelli chocolate |
549 23rd Street South, Arlington, VA
Ph: (703) 271-6040
A trip to the District is not complete without at least one Ethiopian meal. That's something that you can't get in Hawaii. The last time I had Ethiopian food in the Adams-Morgan area, I didn't care for the inerja (thin crepe used to grab and wrap around the food) because of the strong fermented flavor. Enjera's version is lighter in flavor and was delicious with the spicy, savory meats and veggies we ordered. We shared the Meat Lovers Combo for one which was mostly beef cooked in different sauces and one chicken dish (beef zigni, beef alicha, zigni derho, tibsi, awaze tibsy, and cottage cheese) and the Veggie Combo for one (alicha, spicy lentils, yellow split peas, collard greens, green beans, and green salad). There were at least two large parties seated ahead of us and I heard someone say that there was only one cook in the kitchen. The servers were very friendly and our order was taken right away. Our waitress patiently answered our questions and was very attentive. We did have to wait about 45 minutes (probably longer) for our dinner to arrive. Since we didn't have anywhere else to go, we had the luxury of being patient. The food was definitely worth the wait! We paid about $48 for the 2 large entrees, which were combined on one large platter with 3 rolls of inerja per person on the side. Out of the 3 places I've had Ethiopian food, Enjera is my favorite.
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| The meat dishes are in the center and vegetable dishes around the edges on two pieces of inerja |
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509 23rd Street South, Arlington, VA
Ph: (703) 920-1100
We wanted to take the Metro back to DC during our free afternoon on the final day of the conference but it was raining and I didn't want to get stranded. So we went back to 23rd Street and had lunch at Taj of India's Crystal City location. I'm a fan of combo plates when trying something new or different. I convinced my husband to order the Taj Thali ($22.95) which consisted of succulent and tender meat dishes (makhani chicken, lamb roganjosh, beef palak, and dal makhani) served with basmati rice, naan bread, raita (yogurt sauce), and dessert. I tried the Indian Thali ($20.95) which is their vegetarian combo. Once the food arrived, it was obvious that my order was the vegetarian version of my husband's order. Nearly all of the dishes looked the same except mine didn't have meat. My dish also included basmati rice, naan bread, raita, and dessert. The food was delicious and not oily like the Indian take-out place near my office. My husband especially liked the Mango Kulfi he had for dessert. It was a creamy, dense, mango flavored ice cream that tasted similar to Filipino ube ice cream. I ordered the lighter mango sorbet because I was so full. My happy hubby said that this lunch was the best meal of the entire vacation.
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| Vegetarian Indian Thali |
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| Mango Kulfi and Mango Sorbet |
526 23rd Street South, Arlington, VA
Ph: (703) 979-8200
I recommended this restaurant to the other conference attendees from our Honolulu Chapter based on reviews I read online as well as proximity to our hotel. However, our experience at Portofino was mixed. My husband and I shared an order of Calamari Friti ($8.50) which was nicely prepared, but had no flavor. Even the dipping sauce was plain. My husband had the Caccuico Livornese for his entree ($21.95) which was a modest serving of shrimps, scallops, fish, clams, mussels, and squid in a white wine and lemon garlic sauce. My husband finished his dish in about 5 minutes, eating just the seafood with as little of the sour sauce as possible, while the rest of us enjoyed more ample sized entrees. I had better luck with the Omaggi di Neptune ($25.95) which consisted of a small lobster tail, shrimps, scallops, and mushrooms in a brandy sauce over fettuccine. My husband's meal was saved by his dessert, Torta di Formaggio ala Mocha, which was chocolate cheesecake in a custard sauce ($6.95). I was disappointed with my Spumoni ice cream ($4.95), which was already melting when it was served. Again no flavor and hardly any candied fruits or nuts. Sorry, but I've tasted better spumoni even in Hawaii. Our group of 8 people asked for separate checks and the restaurant was nice enough to accommodate our request.
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| Caccuico Livornese |
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| Omaggi di Neptune |
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| Spumoni |
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| Torta di Formaggio ala Mocha |
San Antonio Bar & Grill
1664 A, Crystal Square Arcade, Arlington, VA
Ph: (703) 415-0126
There is an underground walkway that connects our hotel to the Crystal City Metro station. Along the way, there are shops and restaurants located beneath the streets. One of these restaurants is San Antonio Bar & Grill. We like Mexican food so we decided to give this place a try. I am not much of a drinker, but I did enjoy my blended margarita with light salt. The complementary tortilla chips and salsa were delicious as I tried not to get too full before my entree arrived. My husband ordered Asado Puertoriqueno ($15.95) which was a marinated flank steak seasoned with rosemary, garlic, and olive oil. It was served with rice, fried plantains, and a small salad. I had Masita de Puerco ($13.95) which was marinated pork served with fried plantains, rice, and black beans on the side. It was very tasty and reminded me of Filipino pork adobo. The presentation wasn't very fancy, but the food was delicious! The ambiance is "bar and grill" so expect some noise from people cheering on their favorite teams.
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| Blended Margarita |
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| Masita de Puerco |
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| Asado Puertoriqueno |
1743 King Street, Alexandria, VA
Ph: (703) 836-0046
This restaurant is conveniently located near the King Street Metro so it was easy for us to find. It was already past 1:30 when we arrived and there was just one couple in the restaurant just finishing their lunch. The interior was run down and not at all what I expected after viewing their beautiful website. Also, the air conditioning was not working so it was a bit warm as well. It reminded me of the crab shack that used to be near our town house in Alexandria, which was a no-frills place that sold freshly boiled crab seasoned with Old Bay Seasoning. The price of the fresh Maryland blue crab (which is the reason we went there in the first place) was much too high for lunch for just two people so we opted for a lighter lunch. I had a bowl of New England Clam Chowder ($8) while my husband tried the Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup ($8). Sorry, but we thought our soups were pricey for what we got. My husband also had the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake on Croissant ($13). I had the Oyster Po' Boy ($13). Both sandwiches were very tasty and I especially enjoyed the freshly fried oysters on my sandwich.
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| New England Clam Chowder |
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| Maryland Vegetable Crab Soup |
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| Jumbo Lump Crab Cake on Croissant |
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| Oyster Po' Boy |
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